ASSIST Conference 2007 – ‘The Big Picture’

The 2007 ASSIST Conference was deemed a great success by exhibitors and delegates alike.

Here are some of the comments:

Alan Brown, Ideal Services - ‘It was the best Conference yet!’

David Scialfe, AG Barr - ‘The exhibition has been great’

Charles Cooper, Jiffy Trucks - ‘Thank you for a superb event’

Michael Boyd, Meiko - ‘I expect places will be taken up quite early for next year’

Rachel Brown, Green Gourmet - ‘We had a great conference and…were able to speak to most of the Scottish authorities about our new products’

Fergus Chambers, Director, Glasgow Direct Care Services - ’The programme was excellent and some of the speakers were quite superb’

Margaret Gilmour, Service Manager, Stirling Council - ’It was an excellent event. The speakers on day two were especially good’

The 2007 ASSIST Conference theme was The Big Picture and the speakers certainly made delegates think about some of the bigger issues. Our keynote speaker Colin Mair, Chief Executive of the Improvement Service, raised some important issues for local government in the future.

Adam Ingram, Minister for Children and Early Years, outlined some of the elements that will make up the Schools (Health Promotion and Nutrition) Scotland Act. Simon Miller, from Best Foot Forward, gave us some interesting examples of carbon foot printing within organisations, and what climate change means for the planet. Patrick Tansey motivated the delegates to smile through their working day. Hands up …who is still laughing like Muttley?

On the second day we had an entertaining and enlightening talk from Colin Ransom on the Sunderland Council experience. Bill McGregor gave us the view from the Headteacher, whilst our final speaker, Gordon MacMillan (‘The Deliverer’) showed how obesity could be tackled outside of the school gates with the MEND Programme.

The ASSIST Chair Award went to Robin Gourlay, of East Ayrshire Council, for his work on the introduction of organic food and for representing Scottish Local Authorities in such a positive light.

The exhibition was a great success with 14 new suppliers attending. One of the newcomers, Innocent Smoothies, won the Best Stand award.

All in all, a very successful conference. The ASSIST Committee would like to thank all delegates and suppliers for taking part.